My experience with COVID-19 — Assembly

Italian student Chiara Longo writes about testing positive for COVID-19 and what she learned from contracting the virus.

When I first heard about COVID-19, I never imagined its impact on our world or that one day I would be infected.

My home of Italy was one of the first countries in Europe to be hit by the virus. In the beginning, many people underestimated the seriousness of COVID-19 and didn’t take all the necessary precautions our government imposed. I saw people walking on streets with their masks down or not keeping distance between each other. I saw so many people participating in protests denying the existence of COVID-19. I found that really shocking and disrespectful considering the large number of patients in intensive care.

In March, our government declared a national lockdown to attempt to prevent the spread of the virus. Theatres and cinemas closed, lots of people lost their jobs. All the cities were silent; we could only hear the sirens of the ambulances on the streets. I was worried of becoming tired of being stuck at home, but then I understood that we all had to make a sacrifice for the benefit of our community. At that time, Italy had more cases than any other country in Europe. It was really scary, so I made sure to follow the rules and stay at home as much as I could.

During lockdown, I was fortunate to make the switch to e-learning because I had a computer and a secure internet connection. However, it was nothing like meeting my classmates at school. I missed laughing and joking with my friends. I missed that feeling of anxiety before an oral or written exam. It was hard to have conversations with our teachers over video. I prayed to go back to school soon.

“I missed laughing and joking with my friends. I missed that feeling of anxiety before an oral or written exam. It was hard to have conversations with our teachers over video.”

— Chiara Longo

The school year ended in June. Over the summer, the spread of the virus slowed and the government lifted our lockdown. I went safely to the beach near my town and did a little trip in the mountains. In September, after the summer break, schools reopened and millions of students rejoiced at finally being reunited. I was so happy and grateful. My experience with distance learning made me appreciate what I had taken for granted for a long time: being in school in person. The reopening of schools gave hope to our country — particularly its students. But it was still very difficult to maintain distances and keep our masks on for long periods of time. During the lessons we could keep our masks down because we were distanced, but as we moved in the corridors or met other students, we had to be careful. Sometimes teachers scolded students who forgot to put their masks on or didn’t respect the distances. I adapted to this new way of going to school very quickly, because I knew I had to be responsible for my family and for the people around me.

Despite my precautions, at the end of October I started having a sore throat, which then became a bad cough. Soon I started having chest pains. It was then that I tested positive for COVID-19. My first thought was that I could have infected my family; if something ever happened to them, I would never forgive it to myself. I was immediately quarantined and I tried to keep my parents as far as possible from me, although I knew they were always there for me. We followed all the rules; we kept our masks on and a two metres distance. My school also closed for two weeks because of me. I felt guilty for that, although I knew it wasn't my fault. Luckily, my classmates didn’t test positive and I thanked God for this.

The first days of being sick were tough, because the symptoms were really bad. I couldn’t taste the food I ate and couldn’t perceive any smell. Also, my mental health was put to the test. After I found out I tested positive for this potentially deadly virus, there were times that I was afraid that it would prevent me from accomplishing my dreams for my life. As a climate activist, I want to be able to create a healthier, more sustainable future for our planet. As a Girl Scout, I am always putting myself at the service of my city and community. I prayed that I would recover and be able to go back to doing all the things I loved.

To help me through this challenging time, I thought a lot about my grandfathers, who passed away last spring. When I was a little girl, they would tell me they were so proud of me when I achieved good marks at school, so I always showed my willingness and determination to study and do my best every single day. I thought a lot about them while I was sick because they are and will forever be my beloved angels, who guide me from above and push me every day to do better. I knew I had to be brave because of them.

The other thing that helped me through quarantine and my illness was learning. Education has always been my lighthouse; it helps me stay positive, because it gives me the possibility to express and improve myself. That's why I continued following my school lessons, without missing even one of them. I truly believe education had a healing power on me; it was a secure refuge from what was happening to my family and to the whole world.

I was able to recover from the virus, but so many in my country have not. By the end of November, there have been 55,576 deaths in Italy since the beginning of the pandemic, which is one of the highest national mortality rates in the world. From my house, we can hear helicopters transferring COVID-19 patients from different hospitals in my region to the nearest one in my town, because there were no available beds in intensive care. Every time I hear them above my head, I realize how fortunate I've been.

“From my house, we can hear helicopters transferring COVID-19 patients from different hospitals in my region to the nearest one in my town, because there were no available beds in intensive care. Every time I hear them above my head, I realize how fortunate I’ve been.”

— Chiara Longo

My country doesn’t have a day for giving thanks and I think it's wrong because many times our society underestimates the things we are grateful for (this year in particular). I thank God that I was able to recover from the virus and I pray for all the people who lost their loved ones.

As someone who has experienced the virus firsthand, I encourage all of you to follow your government’s guidance. Trust me, this is not something you want and it is not just a flu. Too many people underestimate this virus, and we mustn’t forget about all the innocent people who have died because others didn’t take the necessary precautions. I want to share my experience with COVID-19 to educate others on this topic, because it can affect every one of us, even young people. We are all on the same boat and we can overcome this, but only if we look out for one another.